


A Commander's Anger

by championofnone



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2747897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/championofnone/pseuds/championofnone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Warden Commander knew Warden Blackwall. She's not happy what the Inquisition is doing with her treaties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Commander's Anger

**Author's Note:**

> I was suspicious of Blackwall from the get-go just on my knowledge through Origins and Awakening. He wasn't connecting dots that were easily connectable by any Warden, even someone fresh from the Joining. I can't imagine my Warden being happy about the Inquisition's use of the Warden treaties, so, she gets pissed.

"Inquisitor, we…may have a problem."

Falen looked up from the book she had borrowed from Dorian the day before, seeing Leliana fidget subtly as she entered the room. “Alright, dealing with problems is my job. What is it?”

"The Wardens have noticed our use of their treaties in Blackwall’s name, and some of them who actually knew that Warden…are not pleased with us. They petitioned the Warden-Commander of where he was stationed to meet with you and resolve this, somehow."

The Inquisitor put her book down. Getting what was left of the Wardens involved in something was not going to be an easy affair. “And which Warden-Commander would this be? Of Orlais?”

"No, Inquisitor, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. The  _Hero_  of Ferelden.”

Falen let out a deep breath through her nose. This was not going to end well. 

 

\- - - - 

Two weeks later, the dawn of the Commander’s arrival bloomed. Falen had readied Skyhold, unsure of what exactly was about to happen. For all she knew, the Commander was bringing a contingent of Wardens to arrest Blackwall, despite Leliana assuring her that was unlikely. 

The lowering of the bridge drew most of the Inquisitor’s companions into the courtyard, some simply to see the legendary Hero of Ferelden in person, others to watch out for Blackwall, who stood like a wall of stone off to the left of the gate. 

Finally, the gate finished lifting. To everyone’s surprise, there was no fanfare, no Warden cell, just two elves and a mabari standing before them all. One with hair seemingly made of flames themselves, the other an olive-skinned blonde with tattoos curving along his cheek. 

"Well, this is quite a welcome," the redhead said, breaking the tentative silence. "You all look just so surprised that I’m not eight feet tall."

"Aren!" Leliana was next to speak, hurrying over and hugging the Commander, who returned the embrace tightly. "We have not heard from you in years, even Alistair was becoming worried." 

Aren snorted. “The only reason the cheese-loving lout cares is because it’ll look bad on him if the Commander disappears.”

"Aren, you know that’s not true," the bard frowned. "He’s…mostly over the Landsmeet incident."

"Mostly doesn’t mean entirely."

"Leliana," Falen interrupted, gaining the attention of the two new arrivals and spymaster, "introduce us?"

"Oh, yes." She gestured widely to the two elves and mabari. "This is Aren Surana, Hero of Ferelden, Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Arl of Amaranthine. Accompanying her are Zevran Arainai, leader of the Antivan Crows, and her mabari, Baron." The dog barked happily, nuzzling at Leliana’s arm until she relented and scratched the top of his ears.

"A Crow?" Josephine’s voice said from behind Falen, hand resting softly on the mage’s hip. "Why is a Crow with you, Commander?"

"Ah, mi amor is still rather upset at me for all the times I had gone running off," the Antivan laughed. Aren scowled at him. "So here I am, officially an escort and bodyguard, but actually I am simply under the demands of my wife." 

"Wife?" Leliana exclaimed. "Truly?"

Aren rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised that it was  _his_  idea, actually.” 

"Can we get to the point, here?"

The Commander turned to Blackwall, who’d finally spoken up. He glowered at the small mage, whose expression slid neutral. “You must be the Warden impersonator.”

"Aye, I am."

She sighed. “Do you have a room we can use to discuss this? I’d rather not do this in public.”

\- - - -

Josephine led them to her office, none really wanting to use the war room for this matter. Aren took a chair the Inquisitor offered her, the mabari sitting at attention next to her. The Crow was appearing to simply look around the room, but Falen had no doubt he knew every movement anyone in the room made. 

Leliana stationed herself between Falen and the Commander, and Blackwall sat opposite the Warden. 

"I’ve seen the reports and heard the allegations," the mage began, "but I want to hear why you took this Warden’s name. He trained under me; he was a good man, and I am not pleased to see our treaties abused in dishonor of the dead." 

"How did you know he died?" Blackwall asked. "I made sure that no one knew about that. It was covered well."

Aren’s neutral expression melted into a glare. “You are responsible for the death of one of my men. For that alone I could order your arrest and hang you by your blighted neck if I wanted to. Your fledgling Inquisition cannot overturn a Warden’s jurisdiction of our own soldiers.” Falen bristled at that, but knew the other mage was right. “I am not inclined to do, at this moment. All I want are answers.” 

Blackwall paused. “I did it because I had no choice. A better man than I took a blow that should’ve ended my life. He shouldn’t have died, but he did it to save my hide, and I’m trying to make sure that sacrifice was worth it. I’ve tried to honor him.”

"By pretending to be him? By giving out false orders and claiming they were from  _me_? Don’t think I know nothing, whelp.”

He returned the glare in full. “I did what I had to to stay under the radar. I avoided everyone, made sure I didn’t find any other Warden encampments, that I wouldn’t be tracked.” 

"Oh, you were tracked," she said, voice ice, "from the moment Blackwall sent word he had a recruit, you were tracked. You were mostly harmless, trying to give off a ‘we do good deeds’ aura for the Wardens, so you were allowed to continue. But then you used the treaties I established and rekindled during the Blight in our name. You pissed off most of my allies and I’ve been trying to smooth things over and your Inquisition’s continued use of them is making my life difficult. It stops.  _Now_.”

"Commander, we would not have the troops we need without those treaties," Falen explained. They couldn’t afford to lose this. 

"And so you conscript under a false name, faking  _my_  authority to bolster your own numbers? Infuriating and prideful, you lot are,” Aren spat. “You have no idea what you’re stepping your toes into. I would have expected you to stop this, Leliana.”

The spymaster could not look the Warden in the eye. “I…have been otherwise occupied, I am afraid. Cullen is in charge of the soldiers.”

Aren’s eyes shot up. “Cullen? Templar from Kinloch Hold Cullen?” She snorted in derisive laughter. “Oh, I’ll be talking to him about this, alright.” She stood, Baron rising with her in sync. Her Crow was immediately at her other side. “We’ll continue this tomorrow. I’m speaking to Cullen, and if any of you intervene, I can’t promise I won’t start flinging fireballs.”

"Do not threaten my people," Falen said, unable to keep her annoyance and frustration out of her tone. "You come in here high and mighty, but we do not answer to you."

Aren laughed. “Everyone answers to someone, da’len.” Falen bristled; she did not like being called a child by someone she had no respect for. “You pretend you answer to the Maker or Andraste or Mythal or Falon’Din, whoever you think saved you, and that you will face no severe repercussions for stepping on someone’s toes. You best learn that’s not how things work. Not everyone is going to bend to your will just because your hand glows.”

"What do you suggest we do, then?" she ground out. 

Aren shrugged as the trio walked out the door. “Build your own alliances. Stop trying to borrow authority.” She paused, hand on the doorframe. “I do not dislike you, Inquisitor, and your Inquisition has potential. But you have much to learn before you can blow a war horn and expect countries to come at your call.”

"Yes, because that’s so simple a task."

Aren turned to face her. “You are idealistic. You expect the world to join hands and face your evils together, to put down their differences and sing praise. It won’t happen. It is bloody and you are the one who must bend to their wishes, because they will never think you above them. Not until you are the last man standing between them and the edge of darkness. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to your commander.” 

They left. Falen slumped in an unoccupied chair next to Blackwall, Josephine rubbing the back of the mage’s neck. “Leliana, has she always been that difficult?”

"The burden of command has…made her harsher, I’m afraid," the bard answered, worry furrowing her brow. "She has always been blunt, but that…was something else."

"What will become of me, you think?" Blackwall asked, not speaking to anyone in particular. 

"I don’t think she’ll conscript you," Josephine replied. "She seems too angry at you to want you in the Wardens."

Falen sighed. “Doesn’t look like there’s much we can do but wait and see.”


End file.
